SAN FRANCISCO _ There was no full moon above Oracle Park on Friday night. If there had been, that might explain some of the oddities that transpired on the field below, where the Los Angeles Dodgers experienced something that happens once in a blue moon:
They lost a game that Clayton Kershaw started.
The San Francisco Giants snapped a scoreless tie with two runs in the sixth inning off the Dodgers left-hander and held on for a 2-1 victory before a crowd of 35,157, marking the first time since last Aug. 13 _ a span of 17 regular-season starts _ the Dodgers lost a game Kershaw started.
Kershaw (5-1) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out four and walking one, but suffered his first loss since last July 21, a span of 21 regular-season starts. It also gave the Dodgers their first two-game losing streak since they lost back-to-back games to the Cubs in Chicago on April 23-24.
A strange evening began with Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger stepping to the plate in the first inning and getting serenaded by chants of "MVP! MVP!" In San Francisco, where fans usually greet their hated rivals with chants of "Beat L.A.!"
Then there was the prolific Dodgers offense loading the bases with one out in the first against a pitcher with a 1-6 record and an 8.08 ERA ... and not scoring. And second baseman Max Muncy, not exactly known for his defensive prowess, making three Gold Glove-caliber plays in the first four innings.
And the Giants employing a four-man outfield against Corey Seager, who grounded a fourth-inning single through a vacated shortstop hole ... and Seager tripping on the first-base bag on a seventh-inning infield single and getting a face-full of dirt.
Seager's stumble wasn't even the worst face-plant of the night for the Dodgers. That honor went to left fielder Chris Taylor, who tripped on a bullpen mound in pursuit of Brandon Belt's sixth-inning foul pop that could have been caught but instead allowed the go-ahead run to reach base.
Belt went on to draw a leadoff walk, and Evan Longoria singled to put two on with no outs. Kershaw got Tyler Austin to fly out to right, the runners holding, but Kevin Pillar dropped a run-scoring single to left-center field, and Taylor's throw was wide of the plate, allowing Belt to score for a 1-0 Giants lead.
Kershaw's next pitch sailed over the head of catcher Austin Barnes and to the backstop, allowing both runners to advance. The Dodgers brought their infield in for Brandon Crawford, who grounded to second. Longoria, running with contact, beat Muncy's throw home for a 2-0 lead.
San Francisco still had runners on first and third with one out, but Aramis Garcia grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Taylor hit a one-out solo homer to center field off Giants reliever Tony Watson in the eighth, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Muncy singled, but Turner lined out to third and Bellinger flied out to center to end the inning.
San Francisco closer Will Smith struck out two of three batters in the ninth for the save.
Giants left-hander Drew Pomeranz lasted only four innings in a 10-3 loss to the Dodgers here on April 30, giving up three runs on a David Freese three-run homer, and he appeared in for another abbreviated start Friday night.
Muncy and Justin Turner singled with one out in the first, and Bellinger walked to load the bases. Freese struck out on a full-count curve, and Seager struck out on a 92-mph fastball, but Pomeranz needed 30 pitches to complete the inning.
The escape act seemed to rejuvenate Pomeranz, who retired 12 of the next 13 batters and blanked the Dodgers for five innings _ giving up three hits, striking out seven and walking one _ before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth.
Kershaw matched Pomeranz zero for zero with an assist _ make that three very impressive assists _ from Muncy.
Joe Panik opened the bottom of the first with a tapper between the mound and first base. Muncy charged, made a bare-hand grab and off-balance throw for the out.
Crawford hit a hard second-inning grounder that scooted under the glove of the diving Freese at first and appeared headed for right field before Muncy intervened, making a sliding stop to his left and firing to Kershaw covering the bag for the out.
Positioned on the shortstop side of second in a fourth-inning shift, Muncy ranged to his left and made a sliding stop of Longoria's grounder behind the bag. He scrambled to his feet and fired a one-hop throw to first for the out.
